New Day’s 1 Year Celebration

Today is a special day for all of us in this room. Because we are celebrating 1 year of God’s goodness.
1 year of God doing what He does best. Which is Transform lives.
1 year of watching God take a small group of people and allowing us to reach many more.
1 Year of many tears, but also so much Joy!!
1 year of watching God teach us how to love, how to care, how to meet people right where they are.
1 year of learning who we are. And who God is for us.
1 year of laying the foundation for future generations.
1 year of Many up’s and a few downs.
1 year of relying on God’s faithfulness to get us through some of the worst storms of our life.

My desire today is to take some time —
to remind us of the journey God has us on,
to reflect on the lives that have been impacted and
to enjoy our time together!

Its wild to think we have been doing this for 1 year. 52 services!!!

John 15.16 (NKJV) You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

We started with a small group of people 37 (and a lot of kids).. We were even advised to not start a church until that number was doubled.

BUT GOD…. Had other plans.

And that small group of people (all whom are with us today) had a

heart to LOVE people
a true desire to CALL people up and rather than call them OUT…
& a collective commitment to lead the WORK God has given us in this area.

Our mission was simple – To REACH people right where they are with God’s LOVE.

We set out to LOVE and to BUILD people up. We are not here to build a church or ministry. We, us, are THE CHURCH. And we gather together to –

WORSHIP our Heavenly.
CELEBRATE His goodness.
ENCOURAGE our brothers & sisters
Leave here with a MISSION to reach people where they are (in their pain, addictions, depression, rebellion…)

We are in the people building, people loving business.

On the onset of starting this church, we made a commitment to focus on building His people and to call each of you UP into who you are in God’s eyes according to the purpose and the ministry He has given you.

I knew from day 1 God was leading me to focus on 2 key areas – teach people who they are and 2. invest in the men and disciple them to the best of my ability.

Which has truly been one of my greatest joys thus far.

I slowly began to see that God was making New Day an EQUIPPING center… to raise up sons and daughters

1. Who KNOW their God.
2. Who EMBRACE who they are in God’s eyes.
3. Who UNDERSTAND their purpose on this earth.
4. Who RECOGNIZE the calling on their life and
5. Who Have the COURAGE to step into their destiny.

11 And he has appointed some with grace to be apostles, and some with grace to be prophets, and some with grace to be evangelists,[a] and some with grace to be pastors,[b] and some with grace to be teachers.[c] 12 And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ. 13 These grace ministries will function until we all attain oneness in the faith, until we all experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God,[d] and finally we become one perfect man[e] with the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and fully developed in the abundance of Christ.

We are not playing church here. I am not trying to GROW a church. New Day has an assignment to EQUIP whomever walks in these doors. To meet each person right where they are.

Regardless of your race.
Regardless of how much money you have.
Regardless of your career.
&
Regardless of your past.

It Doesn’t matter. You are God’s child and we honor who you are and will treat you as we would treat anyone else.

Why??

Because There is a kingdom that needs to be advanced. Its His kingdom. Its Not mine. And Its Not yours.

And have been given the task to collectively and individually advance His Kingdom. We are not here for God to make our lives better or for him to be our spiritual genie. We are here to be who he has called us to be. And do what He has called us to do.

1Pet. 2.9 (NKJV) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
1Pet. 2.10 (NKJV) who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

And it all begins with understanding this very foundational truth –

God is relational before functional!

Everything stems first from your relationship with God. EVERYTHING!!!

And that relationship was made right, made secure and made accessible because of what Jesus did for all of us.

It is because of Him that I can relate with the fAther. To receive from the the Father. To enjoy the Father. And anything less that is just not right.

You don’t have to perform. You don’t have to strive. You don’t have to work for God. Just rest in the finished work of Christ. And enjoy the new Life He has given to you and I.

Because…

• His Grace is relational before functional.
• His Peace is relational before functional.
• His Joy is relational before functional.
• His Favor is relational before functional.
• Your Victory in Him is relational before functional.

Its about KNOWING God before we strive so hard to SERVE & please God.

Its about RECEIVING His love for us before we attempt in our own weakness to love others well.

Its about receiving His ACCPETANCE of us rather than attempting to win His approval.

God has given us a new life. Not just the promise of a better life. He has equipped each of us to DO what He has called us to do. But not at the expense of a relationship with Him.

Everything is birthed from a relationship with God..

And many of you have experienced A new fresh vibrant relationship with God.

So let me close by setting our sights on who we will continue strive to be…

New Day is…
A church that BELIEVES a Radical Gospel of God’s grace and POWER.
A church that continues to learn how to love each other without hoops or strings.
A church that is known for what we stand for, NOT just what we stand against.
We are a church that will faithfully CALL each other up rather than calling each other out.
A church that will PREPARE, EQUIP and SEND you out to do what God has called you to do.
A church that will attempt to always STEER YOU BACK INTO THE LOVING ARMS OF YOUR FATHER.
&
A church that wholeheartedly believes in building A PEOPLE (HIS people) more than building a ministry.

That’s who we are and that’s what we will strive to do.